doubly

American  

[duhb-lee] / ˈdʌb li /

adverb

1. to a double measure or degree.

   to be doubly cautious.

2. in a double manner.

3. Obsolete. with duplicity.

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doubly British  

/ ˈdʌblɪ /

adverb

1. to or in a double degree, quantity, or measure

   doubly careful

2. in two ways

   doubly wrong

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Etymology

Origin of doubly

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at double, -ly

Explanation

The adverb doubly means "twice as" or "double." If your new French class is doubly hard as last year's class, it's two times harder. Sometimes people use doubly for general emphasis, to mean "very" or "especially." Your boss might say, "Today's doubly important because the owner of the company will be observing our work." Or you might feel doubly hungry for breakfast after a morning swim. Doubly comes from the adjective double, with its Latin root of duplus, "twofold or twice as much," from duo, "two."

Example Sentences

Navy action facilitates its de-mining and other preparations in the area, it’s doubly a threat to the regime.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

The area's mountainous geography makes it doubly vulnerable.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Baseball is fleeting, a bit of good-hearted nationalism doubly so.

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026

The latest deluge of rain has made getting around Los Angeles doubly difficult for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

Maine speech is very like that in West Country England, the double vowels pronounced as they are in Anglo- Saxon, but the resemblance is doubly strong on Deer Isle.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck